Nordic Hearts
by Kousagi7Yami
Summary: The third installment in my "Hearts" series. Finland and Sweden get their turn!


**Me-The third installment of my "Hearts" series, if anybody would like me to make more, just let me know, I like making these!**

**Disclaimer-I own the story, that's it.**

Tino Väinämöinen's heart was an icy blue. He was quite fond of it, but wouldn't mind losing half of it as long as it went to someone special. As he went to sit down with his friends at lunch he couldn't help but overhear people whispering. "New guy…"

"…Heard his dad was a Viking!"

"…Once killed a bear by looking at it…"

Tino remembered hearing that they were going to be receiving a new student; he wasn't sure from where though. He arrived at his table and set his lunch down. "Is the new student here?" He inquired.

Tino had three good friends, who went by the nicknames they gave each other, Den Norge and Ice. Their hearts were navy, goldenrod and maroon, respectively. Den and Norge's had begun to crack similarly, but it was too soon to tell. Ice's was still whole. "The new guy?" Den asked, stabbing an apple with a fork. "Yeah, his first day's today. I had him in woodshop."

Norge put his book down. "He seems a bit intimidating." He added.

Ice nodded. "He's Swedish. Don't know his name yet." Tino considered this information. He was Finnish, so maybe they could find some common ground.

Tino finished his lunch before his friends, as usual, and went to put his tray away. Just before he got to the window where they went, he froze. Standing a few paces away was a very tall man. He was blonde and very stoic. His blue eyes could probably level anyone with a piercing stare behind their square glasses. He turned slightly and Tino saw that his heart was a honey yellow. I suddenly occurred to Tino that he was looking at him. Tino let out a tiny squeak, but gulped, steeled himself and headed towards the window. Norge was right, this guy _was _intimidating, but he would at least welcome him. He set his tray down and turned to look at the man. "H-Hello! You must be new here, my name's Tino!" The poor Finn was shaking in his boots. But stood his ground and put on a smile. "Wh-What's your name?"

The man studied him for a moment before responding. "'M B'rwald."

Tino blinked in surprise and relief. "Berwald? That's a nice name." He murmured.

Berwald turned to him and Tino was startled again simply from his stare. "W-Well, I'd better get to class! Moi-moi!" He turned and headed to class, blushing that he had signed off with something he only used with his friends.

He swiftly headed to history class, sitting down in his chair, trying to forget his little embarrassment. "Hey." Tino, who had buried his face in his hands, looked up, and promptly fell out of his chair.

Berwald stood in front of him, seeming to have come out of nowhere. "B-Berwald!" He squeaked.

"S'rry…" Berwald murmured, scratching his neck, embarrassed. "'S this seat t'ken?"

Tino got back into his chair and looked at the seat next to him. He shook his head. "Would y' mind?" Berwald motioned to the chair.

Tino was pretty sure he would mind, but Berwald seemed like a nice enough guy… "No, it's fine." He said, trying to smile.

Berwald sat next to him as the teacher walked in. Throughout the rest of the class period, Tino did his best to focus on the slides about the Italian wars, but felt something slide under his fingers. He looked down and saw a piece of notebook paper there. He picked it up and read it. _"Moi-Moi?"-B_ He flushed, remembering his error, but jotted down _"It's how I say goodbye, or hello, just something between me and my friends."_ And pushed it over to Berwald. Seconds later, the paper was under his fingers again. He quickly picked it up and read the one word that made him blush. _"Cute"_ He looked at Berwald. Was it just him, or was Berwald blushing?

After class, as Tino was packing up, thankful it was now the weekend, he felt Berwald gently touch his wrist. "Tino." He began, allowing the smaller man to look at him. "Would y'… h'lp m' w'th th' homew'rk? Ah didn't learn th's 'n m' old school."

Tino was very good with history and nodded automatically. "Sure."

Tino was fairly sure he saw Berwald almost smile. "Th'nks. W'll y' stop by m' house 'fter school?" Tino nodded again. "'ll meet y' by… where w' first met." Berwald rose and headed out.

Tino let out a sound like a deflating balloon. What had he just agreed to do?

"H're." Berwald's house was rather large, but plain-looking, Tino felt a little more comfortable upon seeing it.

Berwald opened the door and was immediately greeted by a tiny, barking ball of white fluff. "Hey H'na." He said, scooping it up into his arms.

"Your dog?" Tino asked, tentatively reaching over to pet it.

"Mm. Name's… Hanatamago." He said, annunciating as best he could.

Tino gave her a pet. "Hi Hana." He smiled brightly and he was fairly certain he had seen Berwald blush.

"M' room's upstairs…" Berwald murmured, placing Hana on the ground.

The two blondes headed upstairs and to said room. Once they got there, Tino noticed that most of the furniture looked handmade. "Ah do woodc'rving…" Berwald explained, setting his stuff on the bed. "Wanna be a good h'sb'nd s'meday…"

Tino felt his face go warm. "I'm sure you'll be a great husband." He smiled warmly, unintentionally.

Berwald glanced at him; he seemed to have a light dusting of pink on his cheeks. Tino suddenly snapped himself out of it. "So! Um… what did you need to know?"

The Swede patted the bed next to him and Tino sat there, a little confused why they couldn't use the desk. The two began working. Tino would explain something to Berwald and he would catch on surprisingly quickly. Occasionally, their hands would brush and he was fairly sure Berwald would turn quickly to hide his blush. Soon, it got dark and Tino began packing up. "You seem to be getting this pretty well." He said, slinging his backpack over his shoulder.

Berwald mumbled something under his breath, and then added. "Y'… don't have t' go…"

Tino felt himself flush lightly. "But, it's getting late and dark… And we'll see each other at school." Berwald nodded in defeat. "My house isn't that far… do you want to walk me home?" Tino mentally slapped himself for such a request. That was selfish of him! Berwald probably had better things to do than-

"I'd love t'."

Tino blinked. "R-Really?"

Berwald nodded. "D'n't w'nt y' to get h'rt…"

So Tino found himself walking a few block to his house next to Berwald, who was guarding him like a dog would guard its puppy. "It's this one." He said, stopping at a modest-sized house. "Thank you for walking me home Berwald." He turned to face the man and was surprised to see he seemed a bit flustered.

"'Nyth'ng f'r y'…" He whispered so Tino couldn't hear it. "'ll see y' at school t'morrow." He murmured. Suddenly, he brought a hand up to Tino's cheek and placed it there for a moment before he realized what he was doing and pulled away quickly, turning and walking down the street back to his house leaving Tino very confused.

Tino lay in bed that night, turning that day's events over in his mind. It was odd, but each time he thought of Berwald, he would feel warmth in his chest. He touched his heart and rubbed a thumb over the smooth surface. He sighed to himself and snuggled into the sheets, soon falling asleep.

_It was a cloudy white in every direction, probably somewhere snowy. It would make sense since Tino was freezing. He took a deep breath and began coughing as his lungs filled with the frigid air. He walked, slowly, the snow up to his knees. He wrapped his arms around himself, walking into the wind. He wanted to call for help, but who would be out in this frozen wasteland? "Berwald…" he croaked, the winds tearing at his throat. "Berwald!" He looked up and saw something a little ways away. He hurried as best he could towards it. He felt his eyes fill with tears when he saw what it was. "Berwald…" Berwald turned to look at him… and smiled. It was a simple thing, but it made his eyes soften and filled Tino with warmth. It was unfamiliar warmth, but welcome all the same. Berwald held his hand out and Tino grasped it. The larger man pulled him into a warm embrace, banishing the cold from Tino's being and the air around them. "Berwald…" Tino whimpered into his coat. "Thank you." Berwald held him closer and whispered into the top of his head. "'Nything f'r y' Tino… 'nything f'r m' wife…"_

Tino shot up in bed just as his alarm went off. He slapped it off and took a moment to work through the dream he had. He had called him his "wife…" For some reason, Tino didn't mind. He minded that he called him his "_wife_" but what it implied… and calling out for Berwald… How had he known he'd be there when nobody else would be? "Tink!"

Tino's eyes grew huge as he looked into his lap where an icy blue half-heart lay. "_P-Perkele_..." He whispered in a panic.

He took a moment to see how it had cracked. Since all hearts broke differently, there were all kinds of patterns. Some were jagged, some were rounded and on rare occasions, some formed half-shapes. Tino's looked like half of a cross. The Finn braced himself for the aftershock he knew would come. When it came, it hit like a freight train. He was alone. He was all alone in the world, there was nobody who understood him or loved him… He knew this wasn't true since he had three great friends at school and one new friend, but it was a crushing pain like he had never felt that blocked out those thoughts. He had to get to school. Maybe that would quench some of theses thoughts of aloneness.

Nope.

Though he was surrounded by people at all times, he felt as though they were on different planes of existence. He wasn't feeling any better by lunchtime either. His friends all stared at him from their spots at the table. "Are you gonna eat that?" Den asked, pointing to something on Tino's tray.

Tino shook his head and pushed the whole tray away. Den swapped his tray and Tino's. "For the starving children in Indonesia!" He declared, and then frowned when it didn't even get a smile out of his Finnish friend. "Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, poking him with the end of his fork.

"My heart broke this morning." Tino mumbled.

"You should go home if you feel like this." Ice offered. "Give your body time to adjust."

"No, I can't miss school." Tino said, grabbing Den's tray.

He stood up and walked over to the tray window, placing it there, in a fog. "Tino!" He turned around and saw Berwald who looked confused.

"'V been callin' y'." He said.

"Sorry…" Tino murmured. "My heart broke this morning and-." He was cut off as Berwald took him into his arms and held him tight. "Berwald!" he squeaked.

"M'ne too." He heard the massive man whisper before he pulled away and show him.

It was broken just like Tino's. Tino blushed. How could he spend the rest of his life with a man he met only yesterday? Suddenly, Tino realized that he didn't feel that aching loneliness when Berwald was around. He remembered how Berwald had blushed in his presence so often yesterday. Had he had feelings for Tino the whole time? He dug into his pocket and pulled out his heart piece. Before Berwald could even register what had happened, Tino fitted his heart into place in Berwald's chest. Berwald stared at him in shock. "Tino?"

"I had a dream last night…" Tino interrupted. "I was all alone, and it was so cold… but you were there. You held me and warmed me up and kept me safe." He smiled. It started small, then worked its way to something bigger, brighter. "And… I love you for that."

Berwald blushed slightly, but then, slowly, a smile spread across his face. It softened his featured and made him look less intimidating. "Ah love y' Tino… wh'n ah fist saw y'… ah knew y' w're special." He looked nervous. "C'n I kiss y'?"

Tino flushed at the request. "No." Berwald looked crestfallen, but Tino grinned. "I'll kiss _you_!" And he did.

It was sweet and chaste and filled with promises. Tino wrapped his arms around the taller man's neck as he held him up. There was a slight "click" as Berwald slid his heart into its proper place in Tino's chest. Tino held him tighter as he was engulfed with the warmth he felt in his dream. Once they pulled away and Berwald put Tino back on the ground, Tino grinned. "Thank you… Berwald."

Berwald smiled back and kissed his forehead. "'Nything f'r y' Tino… 'nything f'r m' wife…"

**Me- As much as I love this pairing, I hate writing for Berwald. It's the verbal tic thing. Anyway, R&R. If you have a request for another installment, let me know**


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